Sunday, July 25, 2010

On Wednesday, I am heading off on an 18-day tour around Asia. I probably won't be utilising internet access although, if I do, it won't be for blog updating.

If you're looking for a good place for further discussion as various events unfold (I'm pretty sure I'll be missing the Youth Olympic Games?), don't forget that the Worldwide Gym Forum (www.wwgym.com/forum) has a dedicated sub-forum for Australian content.

The latest news I have on hand to satisfy your appetites while I am gone is that the draw for the Rotterdam Worlds has taken place!

Australia's WAG team will compete in subdivision 5 of 12 alongside Denmark, Greece and one of the mixed groups.

Australia's MAG team will compete in subdivision 5 of 10 alongside Belarus, Bulgaria, Portugal, the USA and a mixed group.

So enjoy any news and gossip as it breaks.

Unfortunately, I can't bring you all back batik headscarves (much as I would like to).

Naomi was a hard-working gymnast with powerful vault and bars skills and a striking performance style. She won two medals for Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, taking a bronze on vault and standing alongside her teammates on the winner's dais as Australia took team gold. She also etched her name alongside the exciting class of 2005-2006 with a strong international debut at the Shanghai World Cup and Australia vs Japan events. With Commonwealth all-around champ Chloe Sims and prima ballerina Hollie Dykes, she proved to be one of the best performers the Sunshine State has ever produced.

I was so looking forward to seeing Naomi make a run for another Commonwealth Games or maiden World Championships since her move to Melbourne. I hope she finds contentment in whatever she pursues, but, most of all, I wish her good health.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Best wishes to Olympian Shona Morgan who, it was announced today, has decided to retire from elite gymnastics here in Oz and concentrate on her commitment to Stanford University. Read the news and a statement from Peggy Liddick here.

I am sure Shona will be an exceptionally valuable asset to the Stanford class of 2011, and I hope she has as enjoyable a time with them as we have seen our other collegiate Aussies have with their schools. I had the pleasure of meeting her at an event outside of gymnastics and she was as pleasant as I'd always presumed she would be. As a competitor, she boasted difficult skills performed with elegance, and a calm demeanour to boot. With multiple state and national medals under her belt, it is no surprise that Shona's name has appeared in the Australian lineup for two world championships (three, if you count her reserve role in 2006) and an Olympics.

Shona was a Rotterdam contender and listed as a reserve for the Commonwealth Games team but, in retirement, has relinquished both positions. You can read about the rest of the Delhi team lineup here.

That's all I've been informed about. I have to go now, and won't be back until very late, so chat amongst yourselves as the rest of the team is announced. Have a good Monday.

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I knew it! Not ten minutes after I shut down my laptop and leave the house for my extra-long shift at work, does a text message come through informing me of the full team! I guess you can't always be around for the good stuff. I am now trawling through all your lively comments and discussions!

This marks the 3rd Games for Rizzo, and the second for Offord, Sellathurai and Jefferis.

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The women's team is slated for announcement today (Monday 19th) though I have no idea what time. I'm only around until 2:45 so if you don't see an update before then... the news has been broken and I wasn't around to hear it.

Australia currently has a team at the World Championships and World Age Games for acrobatics. News over the weekend was that Australia's 11-16 age group women's trio placed 8th/27 teams at the Age Games. Well done, ladies!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

National AA champ Georgia Bonora is on the front page of International Gymnast Online here.

In a brief rhythmic wrap-up: national all around champ Naazmi Johnston won all four apparatus golds!

Keep your eye on the GA Facebook group for photos.

Men's Nationals kick off on Tuesday from Canberra, so check back here for news and results (admittedly my coverage will not be as comprehensive as the women's coverage. But not having sources on the scene coupled with working 4/5 days next week doesn't exactly help).

A Waverley double-header! A Victorian trifecta! And a podium finish for everyone's other favourite person nicknamed Mez! I gave the loudest 'yay' ever heard in a Melbourne bar when I got a text bearing the news.

Congratulations must also go to Naazmi Johnston who won her third consecutive(!) senior rhythmic all-around title yesterday.

Oregon State did a catch-up with National 10 Champion Olivia Vivianhere.

Best wishes to Ashleigh Brennan (among others!) for a speedy recovery - she was withdrawn from this second day of competition due to injury.

Friday, July 9, 2010

A solid performance by Beijing Olympian Georgia Bonora has helped Victoria claim back to back senior national team titles at the 2010 Australian Women’s Gymnastics Championships in Perth tonight.

Doubling as the selection trials for both the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2010 FIG World Championships – the first qualifying event for the London 2012 Olympics –Australia’s stars are not only vying for national titles but the opportunity to wear the green and gold.

On the opening night of the senior competition, Bonora posted a total score of 54.325 to lead the all-around ahead of tomorrow night’s final.

The 20-year-old recorded solid scores on bars (13.200), beam (13.600), floor (13.625), and vault (13.900) but was happiest with her floor routine.

“The assignment tomorrow night is to do one thing at a time and the aim is to stay on the apparatus,” said Bonora.

“I’d like to fix my bars up, I stayed on the bars but I didn’t exactly get all my handstands and my landing was bit off but everything else was good.

“I was pretty happy with my floor tonight. My fitness isn’t as high as it can be at the moment but I was happy with my turns and leaps, which we’ve been pretty hard on at the moment.

Fellow Beijing Olympian Ashleigh Brennan (VIC), who took 2009 off to concentrate on finishing her Year 12 VCE studies, made her much-anticipated return to the national scene. The 19-year-old put in a quality performance to sit second in the all-around with 51.750 points – vault (13.300), bars (12.300), beam (12.975) and floor (13.175).

In her first year at senior level, Australian Institute of Sport-based Mary-Anne Monckton (NSW) also impressed. The 15-year-old recently returned from a year on the sidelines after having two small bones removed from her ankle, but returned with vigour to currently sit third in the all-around with 51.325 points - vault (13.450), bars (12.775), beam (12.500) and floor (12.600).

Australian women’s head coach Peggy Liddick said she was happy with the effort tonight but there was still some work to be done.

“I asked the judges to really be strict tonight. We’re not going to get any favours when we go over to India or The Netherlands for world championships,” said Liddick.

“They are going to have to clean up some things tomorrow night if they want those higher scores posted.

“Some of the seniors did a good job tonight, Mary-Anne came through, we haven’t seen her for a year and a half due to injury.

“Georgia Bonora looked really good tonight. I think she is only one a few who went four for four. I was really happy for that.

“Ashleigh Brennan also looked really good. She had 18 months out of the gym and her beam and floor looked really good.”

Victoria also took out the junior team title with Angela Donald leading the junior all-around with 52.800, followed by fellow Victorian Svetlana Sanders (51.075) and Queensland’s Amaya King Koi (50.725).

Five positions on the Australian team for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games are up for grabs, the women returning to Challenge Stadium tomorrow night for the all-around final.

Good luck to all competitors tonight.

My apologies for not being able to cover the event as it happens, but I WILL be here for apparatus finals in the coming days.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

“In the seniors, Georgia Bonora is looking really solid, she’s a good all-arounder. She’s looking really strong for the national all-around title.“In the juniors, Angela Donald and Georgia Rose-Brown from Melbourne, both have been looking good. “Emma Jane Nedov, who just got back from her first international assignment in Germany and won balance beam over there, she could be a sleeper. “It’s all really exciting because these juniors are all eligible for the 2012 Olympics and will make their impact next year.”

If ANYONE reading this will be in attendace with a video camera, I would love to see (among other things) Ashleigh Brennan's bars... if only for the dismount...

I'll also be on Twitter throughout the night (@ozgymblog, disregard anything you might come across from my personal Twitter!) so join in the chat and twobservations by using the hashtag #ausnationals!

The lights are back on in the AGB batcave and everything's beeping and booping again.

GA has a wrap-up of the women's National Levels Championships here (with full results available here). Looks like Victoria and Queensland were the big guns this year. Congratulations to all the winners (in particular our favourite ranga - Olivia Vivian!) Am quite chuffed to also see recent interviewee Tayla Dinuccio get some hardware too. There are some great photos going up at Facebook courtesy of GA's page and those of the various state associations, so check those out as you fiddle with Farmville.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Haven't been able to update results or link to pictures or anything like that.

Having technical difficulties at the moment and as such am currently lumped with the world's most slovenly PC. I swear, computers in our house know to pack it in around Nationals time every year. I'm going mad!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

If you're heading to the artistic national championships in Perth (WAG) or Canberra (MAG) next week, I would love to hear from you!

Drop me a line at Twitter (link in the sidebar) or via email at ozgymblog@gmail.com

Reports, results, observations, news links, celeb sightings, photos and videos are more than welcome. You will most certainly be credited by name, however, you will be listed as Anonymous if you request as such.

You yourself can follow the goings-on here or here, in addition to the Gymnastics Australia page at Facebook.